Magnetics, different USTs, internal mics, external mics, combos, the metal bridge replacement that then
digitalizes the sound, auraphish, the European stick ons, the "tailor-mades"; I've bought and or sampled
a wide range of them. They quack, they feed back, they sound fine at low levels but flack out when you try to go louder, they wolf tone, sound like a P-90, or they are clear and crisp, and but lack bass or mid range guts.

Or, as at one miserable gig, fall off.

Nothing satisfies like the Anthem.

I have tried for years to get a balanced, clear, loud enough, articulated, non-metallic, amplified sound out of
a number of boxes for my thumbpick/nails, sensitive new age blues dude fingerstyle technique.
FINALLY, I can be heard in a bar, in a combo setting or anywhere else.

I don't need to fuss, fuss, fuss with the dials. I don't need to play as hard as I possible can.
(I'm pretty good; people are finding out)

At home, in the music room, wife/partner doesn't complain about it being too loud. She says, instead, that
"it fills up the room." I can hear overtones and transient sounds from the amp that I've previously only heard
from a guitar that I was playing myself.

I even concede, there may be a legitimate concern with a little high end damping of the un-amped sound. Three
responses: 1. Many factory/bolt-neck guitars could use a little high end damping anyway; 2. I basically bought a guitar to dedicate to amplified situations, into which I had an Anthem SL installed. (Yes, a Chinese guitar that is
an extremely good value-with good wood, a small, OO sized body, coupled with a 25.5 scale, yielding
great presence and articulation), and 3. The guitar still sounds great un-amped.

I went SL (rather than "full" Anthem) to go with my Venue, and to avoid constantly finagling the
two source balance. Like many of you, I obsess.

Hell, it sounds great straight to my UltraSound.

Fellow Acousticians: Take it from one of your elders: NO MATTER WHAT ELSE THEY MIGHT INVENT
(LRB INCLUDED) PULL THE TRIGGER ON THE ANTHEM.

If nothing else, I want to improve MY experience when I listen to YOU play.